Dealing with Stress & Anxiety in Uncertain Times

Hi friends! Welcome to the first blog post on The Evergreen Table!

This season of life has been difficult for all of us. It’s been a season full of job losses, lost loved ones, and economic downturn that results in fear of the future and wreaks havoc on our stress levels. As someone who deals with anxiety often, I wanted to share some tips that I have learned over time that have helped me combat stress and give me perspective. I’ve learned there are certain things that trigger my anxiety and can send me into a whirlpool of mental stress that historically leaves me feeling out of control and worried. Over time I’ve been able to take note of the things that put me on that spiral so that now I can generally tell when my anxiety levels are getting too high and I can readjust course.

Recognize & Decrease Triggers

Poor Posture

I was surprised to learn that bad posture can influence anxiety. I have not always had the best posture. While researching it recently, I learned that when we slouch, it turns on our sympathetic nervous system as it puts pressure on our diaphragm and forces us to breathe from the higher part of our lungs. This system increases our stress hormones and puts us into “fight or flight” mode. Sometimes this mode is necessary for survival and is a good thing but if danger isn’t near it is best to try to reduce the time spent in this mode in day to day life. If your body believes it is in in danger, and therefore stressed all the time, it can wreak havoc on several bodily systems including your heart, gut, and nervous system.

Not Getting Quality Sleep

Getting adequate, quality sleep is critical. When I haven’t gotten good rest or I’ve stayed up later than I should it makes me feel sluggish and irritable. Sleep is so important for every aspect of our health. It allows our bodies to recover and process the day. If you need help getting quality sleep, I’ve found it helps to have a good routine for the morning and evening so that your body learns when it’s time to shut down for the night and when it’s time to get up for the day. It’s best to have it at a cool temperature while you’re sleeping. You can use an eye mask or curtains called “blackout curtains” to keep out light while you sleep so that your brain can generate proper sleep chemicals. Even better if you have blue light glasses and avoid technology an hour or more before bedtime. Further, for waking up in the morning you can try to switch to a sunlight alarm clock. These special alarm clocks slowly get brighter and brighter when it’s time to wake up instead of emitting a jarring sound as a wake-up call. The light replicates how our bodies naturally prefer to wake up to support our circadian rhythms.

Too Much Technology

With that in mind, studies have shown that spending too much time on the internet and with technology can actually promote depression. I have found I feel much more melancholy and apathetic when I have spent too much time staring at a screen and not being involved in real life, let alone the thoughts of comparison and disconnection it brings. I recommend opting for a book or going for a walk instead of turning on the tv for the evening. I try to implement this into my life so that I can rest better at night. It’s beneficial to work towards not engaging in things that might trigger stress. Linked with technology, I’ve found it wise to not allow myself to constantly be barraged by the news. No matter what news station you watch, they report on the most urgent, stress inducing matters. While it’s important to stay informed, I try to consider regulating it to only a certain amount of time at a certain time of day if possible.

Not Eating Well

Another thing I’ve learned is that it’s so important for every aspect of our health to eat well. Our gut microbiome particularly has been shown to be directly linked to anxiety and depression. Taking care of our gut is crucial when it comes to all aspects of health, especially mental health. In times of stress, it’s even more important to take care of ourselves. Instead of letting yourself reach for comfort food, try reaching for something nourishing that you know will be better for you in the long run. I try to do this by adding more fruits and vegetables into my diet. That being said, sometimes it can be good for the soul to indulge in a treat as long as it’s not a constant go-to. When I want to indulge, I enjoy making healthier dessert recipes with whole food ingredients.

Too Much Introspection

The most critical thing for me has been to not indulge in my introspection. This is especially true during seasons of high stress and worry. If you’re a naturally deep thinker, it’s easy to feel like your emotions and feelings control you. It’s easy to wonder the “why” behind a certain issue or problem. I am a natural worrier, but the beautiful thing I’ve learned is that we can choose our thoughts. It’s easy to feel like you're subject to any thought or emotion that pops up, but truthfully, we each have the power to decide what we will and won’t think about, and what we want to focus on. This concept has given me so much freedom in life. For a long time, I felt like I was subject to whatever was going on around me and had to feel whatever feeling came along with it. The feelings will come, but learning the habit of sorting our feelings and thoughts and aligning them with the truth has been extremely freeing. If you often think introspectively and deeply, I recommend thanking God for the depth He’s given you while balancing it with the lighthearted and joyful things He’s also given us in life. I’ve found there are many joys in life that bring their own great depth.

Increase Things That Bring Joy and Reduce Stress

Along with being aware of what triggers anxiety and stress, there are many things that I pursue that proactively promote joy, wellbeing, and fight stress.

Exercise

Implementing an exercise routine has greatly helped me in dealing with stress. Going on a good run or getting a good stretch have been two stress relievers I’ve greatly cherished. I used to not enjoy exercise and never engaged in it through my late teens and early twenties, however as time has gone on I have learned to enjoy and appreciate it as something to look forward to. It leaves me with a refreshed perspective and clear mind and allows me to use built up tension. I acknowledge that I am greatly blessed to be able to use my body in its full capacity, and I enjoy worshipping God in this way. There are so many ways to exercise and move your body-find one that you enjoy!

Breathing Properly

I have found that taking deep breaths has helped in critical times of stress. Deeper breathing is an automatic response to exercise, however outside of exercise it can be useful as well. If I begin to feel overwhelmed, I try to notice tension in my body and I often realize that my shoulders and neck are tense. I resolve to take a deep breath-five seconds in through my nose, holding for a few seconds, and 7 seconds out through pursed lips. When I do this a few times, I feel my blood pressure slow down and I’m better able to handle things.

Enriching Hobbies

Cultivating real hobbies that help reduce anxiety and stress can truly enrich your life. I personally enjoy drawing, playing with my dog, writing, reading, doing projects around my house, gardening, and playing board games with family and friends. There are so many things to do. Sometimes you can even pair a couple of hobbies together, like spending time outside by having a picnic while playing a card game or going bike riding! It’s important to find whatever is fun to you, what makes you feel relaxed and happy and pulls you away from your anxious, stressful thoughts.

Balancing Engagement & Fear

The most obvious action to take is one of not engaging in things that trigger anxiety, fear, and stress, but it’s important for us to know ourselves enough so that we can discern that we aren’t running away from facing our fears. If there is a legitimate danger it is wise to be responsible in the face of it, however it’s important to realize it’s good to not be afraid of everything. You can put yourself in a position to live in a box from indulging in fear. I like giving myself some time to reflect on wether I am acting out of fear for the sake of being afraid or if there is a legitimate concern. If there isn’t a legitimate concern, I try to challenge myself to face the fear at whatever pace I need so that I am not living in fear and allowing it to become a long term issue.

Spend Time Outside

One of my favorite things to do to destress is to spend some time outside. Spending time in nature gives me perspective. As I said before, I can be in my head a lot so getting outside to enjoy God’s creation helps me to see that there is a big world out there. It is fresh, beautiful, and encourages me to take deep breaths. In my opinion, one of the most heartwarming things to watch are birds flitting around and playing together.

In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:26, Jesus reminds us how God loves us through how He watches after even the birds.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Listening to birds sing and watching them play shows me that I am able to be just as joyous and carefree as birds singing their songs, living out their purpose as birds as God intended them to without a care in the world. It has helped me see that if God is sovereign enough and loving enough to care of creatures as insignificant and small as the sweetest birds, then I can trust Him to take care of me also. Being out in God’s creation gives us the chance to not be isolated in a bubble of stressful tunnel vision that keeps us from His peace.

Meditating on God’s Word

God’s Word has much to say about anxiousness and worry.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Phillipians 4: 6-7

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.” - Isaiah 26:3

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” -Psalm 94:19

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” -John 14:27

These are just a few verses that can bring comfort in regard to stress, anxiety, and fear. These verses are comforting to hear for a reason. They point us back to the truth that we serve a good, sovereign God that brings us peace and hope for the future even if it doesn’t always feel like it. If I am stressed I have found that the most important place to start addressing it is with God’s Word and spending time with Him in prayer. I am often better at collecting my thoughts through writing so I prefer to journal my prayers to God when I’m able to. My goal is to be in the word as much as possible, however life isn’t perfect. Sometimes spending time in scripture and with God can be choked out by daily tasks that crop up and distract us from our priorities. Christ is meant to be the center and anchor of our lives, not just a checked off box on a checklist.

Spending time with Him is always crucial, but often we forget until we need something during a stressful time in life. Joshua 1:8 says that

“the book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Personally, I’ve found Biblical meditation to be critical.

The world constantly feeds us messages about what we should think and how we should feel. This repetitive inundation of thoughts and feelings hardly ever, if ever, line up with truth. We should do our best to memorize scripture and speak it to ourselves as much as possible throughout the day. Biblical meditation is not the emptying of the mind and search for inner peace that the world calls us to, but rather dwelling in the promises and truth of God’s word. It is a filling up of the hope that Christ brings, the comfort of His goodness and sovereignty. Meditating on scripture brings so much peace to the oft worried heart because we deeply and inherently know it to be true.

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I am not a psychologist or therapist, but I hope that these tips help you as they’ve helped me. There may be some things that you discover about yourself that work better for you or some that don’t apply at all! There may also be some things during this season that may be unavailable to you. Be creative! No matter what, find comfort that relief from anxiety and stress is possible and that each of us is worth the effort and energy put in to reorient ourselves to a more peaceful, joyful state.

Blessings,

Rachel